The Legend of Zelda: Valley of Deluge
by Link the Zora
Summary: What happened during the time between OoT and TP? Set 50 years after OoT, Princess Zelda must save her kingdom again from an evil force, but can she do it...without Link?
1. Chapter 1: The Vision

**DISCLAIMER:**

I do not own "The Legend of Zelda". Zelda and all related characters belong to Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

There's a rumor going around that the new Zelda Wii is called "Valley of Deluge" and it explores what happened to Hyrule between OoT and WW. As far as I know, it's fake until E3, but I decided to explore that question.

Enjoy! (btw, this is my first fan fiction ever on this site.)

This story is rated "T" for some violence and suggestive themes.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: VALLEY OF DELUGE

Chapter One

"_Link! Use the Master Sword!"_ _Zelda shouted from across the rain-soaked wasteland that was once Ganondorf's tower. Zelda was trapped outside a wall of fire and was forced to watch the Hero of Time battle alone against the pig demon, Ganon. _

_Sensing the battle was nearing its end, Zelda closed her eyes to concentrate her powers. It was now or nothing: As the seventh sage, she would help the others seal Ganon into the Sacred Realm once and for all. _

_Something broke her concentration…The battle had mysteriously gone silent. All she heard was rolling thunder and the piddling of rain on the stones ruin. _

"_What is Link doing?" Zelda thought nervously. "Surely he would have told me he had won?" _

_Zelda felt a horrible feeling in the bottom of her stomach, like it was being twisted tightly. _

_She opened her eyes and nearly screamed. _

_Lying face-down in a pool of blood was Link, the young Hero of Time. His head was twisted in an odd fashion, his neck had been broken. His shield and the Master Sword had been carelessly discarded to the side. Lying by the side of his foot was the small glowing orb, Navi…Link's fairy. The light was pulsating, as if mimicking the rhythm of a dying heart. Three seconds later, it vanished. _

_Towering over them was the behemoth demon, Ganon. The small, glowing yellow eyes seemed to be satisfied that its mortal enemy was finally defeated. It swiveled its massive head to Zelda's direction._

_The young princess covered her mouth and let out a bloodcurdling scream._

"Your Highness! Your Highness!" a guard burst through the door into Zelda's bedchamber and rushed to the writhing queen on the bed. He hurriedly placed his hands on her in an effort to calm her down.

Zelda's eyes snapped wide open, staring at the young man's face.

"Princess Zelda, are you all right?" the man asked gently.

Zelda paused for a moment, trying to recollect her thoughts. She nodded and fell back onto her bed.

"Is there anything you require, your Highness?"

"No, Samuel, thank you. You are dismissed." Zelda placed a hand on her hot forehead as she heard the door close. This was the third time this week that she had the dream. Deciding not to go back to sleep, she untangled herself from the blanket and got up.

Her bedchamber was relatively small compared to the other rooms in the castle. It only comprised of a table with a few chairs, her bed and many, many bookcases of books.

As Zelda walked towards her dresser, she looked into the mirror and sighed. Ruling the land had taken its toll on her face.

Her face was sunken and wrinkles had appeared on her cheeks, forehead and mouth. Her once dazzling yellow hair was now a long mass of white and grey.

"I look more like Impa did every day." she muttered as she slipped into her purple gown. She thought back to her nightmare. She knew it didn't tell what had happen in the past, because she remembered quite clearly her and Link sealing Ganondorf up in the Sacred Realm all those years ago, and her sending Link back in time.

She hadn't seen him in fifty years since that day.

She paused as she let her thoughts focused on him. _"Where was he? Why hasn't he returned?"_

She remembered how her last visions foretold Ganondorf taking over Hyrule. If this were a vision…she shuddered. If Ganondorf returned, there was no way she could possibly stand against him in her age, and no one exactly taught her how to use a sword.

"_All the more to worry about Link not returning in fifty years."_ Zelda reached out for her crown and placed it on her head. She had sent him back seven years to relive his childhood. By all accounts, he should have been back by now.

Her vision flashed through her mind again and again. A dead Link, discarded Master Sword, and a triumphed Ganon. Did this mean Link _literally_ was dead?

"_Stupid me!"_ she cursed to herself as she made her way out to the throne room. _"I should have sent a search and rescue party for him."_

She lifted up her crown and slid it onto her head. Today, she would check the Temple of Time. Maybe the Sages would have the answers.


	2. Chapter 2: The Master Sword

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA

VALLEY OF DELUGE

Chapter Two

Hyrule had entered its winter season. As Zelda stepped outside onto the drawbridge, pulling her brown horse along by the reins, she felt the biting cold coming from the northeast. The landscape hadn't really changed at all, not even the castle. the old ditch with the water was still there. "Come, Elba." she pulled the rein and started across, but felt the horse tug as its eyes stared nervously at the gurgling water below it. Zelda gritted her teeth and spoke in a harsher tone. "Elba! Come!" She jerked the rein harder.

Elba let out a loud whinny and attempted to jump out of her grip. Zelda fought furiously to keep her balance. She wasn't as nimble as she used to be, and if Elba kicked her... "Elba-Elba, look, this isn't helping me!" Zelda cursed. "_At least Link never had a problem with Epona. If she started acting up, all he'd have to do is play a song for her. Are female horses easier than male horses?_" After a few minutes of dragging and fighting, Zelda managed to get Elba across the bridge. When she got her sore body on him, Elba quickly got in attention. Zelda sighed and shook her head. Somehow, she managed to get the stupidest horse from Malon. She kicked him in the sides and rode off.

The Temple of Time had been glamorized since Link saved them fifty years ago. Two large, marble statues of Link stood at either side of the entrance. One was Link as an adult, arched to the side, his sword in mid-swing. The other was of him as a child, with his small Kokiri sword and Deku shield, standing determined behind the Master Sword, as if contemplating his destiny. Zelda tied Elba to a small wooden gate by the side and stepped into the entrance.

Elderly men and women in long, light blue robes walked across the marble hallways that separated into three different passageways, paying homage to Link and the Triforce. murals of Link and the seven sages dotted the walls. Zelda walked down the center hall into a big marble-domed chamber. In the chamber was a tall statue of Link, the Hero of Time doing a vertical attack with herself at a younger age standing next to him, holding the Triforce. Just beneath them was a 3-D detailed map of the land of Hyrule. The Master Sword, however, was inside the statue, in a door that was sealed shut by magic. Though Zelda was the ruler and had magical abilities of her own, it was the ones who worked in the Temple of Time that could open the door. "Excuse me, Grand Sage?" Zelda spoke to an elderly woman crouching by the feet of the statue, lighting the candles. Her gown was like all the others, except with the inclusion of a long blue hat similar to Link's. The woman got up and stared at Zelda with small eyes that peered over a hooked nose. Memories of the late Impa poured into Zelda's mind. "Yes, your majesty?" she spoke in a strained whisper through the curled lips. She was slowly getting over a cold, so she had to cough into her sleeve. "Lovely season, this. I shall expect I won't be myself for a good few months." "I'm sorry, Grand Sage." Zelda smiled gently, staring at the woman's hard face. "Maybe I can appoint-" "No, no, do not trouble yourself, your Majesty." she coughed again. "Now, what is it you want?" "I'm here to check on the Master Sword." Zelda said. The Grand Sage's eyes widen in surprise. "Please, I just want to make sure."The Grand Sage sighed and nodded. She walked closer to the statue until she was between them. Pressing a withered hand against the marble slab, she muttered an incantation in the Hylian tongue. Suddenly, bright light appeared from behind and the door began to slide across.

Zelda peered into the dark hallway of the old Temple of Time. It was exactly how she used to remember it. The Master Sword rested in it's place alone, only lit by a single window. She carefully walked into the room, not knowing what she was going to attempt. Talk to the sages in the Sacred Realm? Pull up the Master Sword? She touched the old blue handle.

_"Princess Zelda!" _

The voice did not belong to the Grand Sage or any of the other sages. Was it Link? It sounded just like him...

_"Princess Zelda!"_

She gripped the handle tightly and she noticed how loose the sword was. Without warning, she saw a blinding light and a rush of wind. When she opened her eyes painfully, she realized with shock that the sword had been completely removed from the pedestal..."What have I just done?" she said in a dead whisper. "What have I just done?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an image of a short, bald man in an orange robe materialize. She quickly looked at the ghost and immediately knew who it was.

"Rauru…" she breathed, still shocked in disbelief.

Rauru simply stared at her with a fixed expression.

_Princess Zelda…_ he spoke through her mind. _You have changed…_

"Rauru, I-" Zelda fumbled over her words. "I wanted to know where Link was."

_Princess Zelda…The key to the Sacred Realm had gotten weaker over the years. Our hold on Ganondorf is weakening._ Rauru said remorsefully. _Link has not yet returned to us._

"But if we find him-" Zelda interjected.

_Why do you wish to find him now? After fifty years?_

Zelda blinked.

"I tried to contact him, but his Triforce of Courage left him. The last time I heard of him was a rumor that a man in green was helping a castle fight off invaders. That was over forty years ago. I had assumed he died during the battle."

_So if you knew he had died, why find him now?_

Zelda looked down. It was a personal feeling in her heart that was holding on to the faint hope that Link was still alive.

"I just wanted to know. Link belongs to Hyrule, and if he had died, he's to be buried in Hyrule." she said after a moment.

_Princess, Link never died._ Rauru said.

"So Link's still out there? " Zelda couldn't help but sigh in relief. Link was still out there. He was old, sure, but at least there was a chance for her to bring him back home.

_No…_ Rauru's image spoke gravely. _He is non-existent_.

Zelda stared dumbly at him.

_When you sent him back, dear child, you had inadvertently created two timelines. His timeline as a child continues. He is now an old man living in Kakariko._

"So…this timeline…the one when he was an adult…" Zelda's mouth was dry as she struggled with the words.

_He is gone. You have effectively erased him from your timeline. _

"That doesn't make sense!" Zelda's temper was rising against her better judgment. "I sent him back seven years to when he's a child! I sent him away so as events wouldn't repeat themselves. After seven years, he comes back!"

Rauru sighed. _Zelda…my child. You sent him back in time, yet he retained all the memories of his adventures as an adult. He goes to Hyrule Castle and with YOUR help, he overthrows Ganondorf and he leaves for his own adventure. _

Zelda shook her head in disbelief. The plan had been so perfect…so flawless…Had she not learned her lesson when she once tried to control the Sacred Realm to fight Ganondorf?

_In Link's timeline, Ganondorf is destroyed before he conquers Hyrule. But in yours, it is after and Link is the Hero of Time. _

"But…Ganondorf can't come back, can he?" Zelda looked at the Master Sword in her hand.

_The King of Evil's hold on the Triforce of Power is strong. _Rauru stared sadly at the old princess. _Hyrule's future is bleak. With no Hero…I see no salvation._

With that, Rauru vanished.

Zelda's legs grew weak and buckled. The sword clattered onto the ground as she placed her head in her hands and sobbed. The Grand Sage approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"The Hero's gone…He won't come back." Zelda choked.

"But you're still here, your highness." the Grand Sage said calmly.


	3. Samuel's Track

Chapter Three

"One, two, three…stop. One, two, three…stop." Samuel muttered as he slowly moved down the long, empty hallway, counting the paces underneath his breath, taking care not to press his muddy steel boots down onto the fine red carpet. As he approached the entrance of the dining room, he stopped and did a sharp about-face. His moves were rigid as he was still getting used to the steel armor the royal knights of Hyrule had assigned him. His thick brown hair was squished up inside his helmet.

_Clang!_

Deciding that the cook was preparing a meal and had dropped something, Samuel ignored the noise and repeated his pace, keeping a firm grip on his spear for balance. He closed his eyes to imagine a guard in front of him so he wouldn't overstep his pace. It had to be precise and smooth. After all,

_Clang!_

This made him pause, but he didn't open his eyes to check. Was it his imagination or did he feel something heavy fall just behind him? _"Please don't let that be my stuff falling off."_ he muttered to himself as he kept on going, counting the paces. He kept at this until he felt a solid mass collide with him.

"Careful, man!" a gruff voice cried out. Samuel quickly snapped his eyes open and reeled back in shock. It was his commander, Corval. A chubby man whose long mustache rested easily on his chin. The small hazel eyes studied the younger man with irritability. Samuel stared at the commander's chest and realized with horror that it was covered with bread crumbs and other assortments of food. Samuel eyed the brown plate lying on the ground and gulped.

"S-sorry sir…Commander, sir." Samuel reached for his sides and felt that his sword wasn't there anymore. He looked back behind him to see his sword and shield lying on the ground just three feet apart from each other. He groaned and put a hand on his face. It had happened again! He, otherwise known as "slippy fingers" had once again embarrassed himself. He turned back to the commander, his face hot with shame.

"What were you doing, Samuel, walking around like you were blind?" Corval said with a note of anger. "The queen does not want her guards to play when on duty!"

"I-I was just doing rounds and I wanted to make sure I kept my pace and--" Samuel went silent as he saw Corval bent down and snatch the plate back up and pointed it at him.

"You have been for a week, so I'll let it go this time, but I expect you to get your act together if you hope to continue being among Hyrule's royal knights." Corval's eyes widen at him in a warning. Before he could say anything else, there was a cry of "LOWER THE DRAWBRIDGE! THE QUEEN RETURNS!"

Corval immediately sprang into action. He quickly put the plate to a nearby table and, with Samuel in tow, dashed towards the entrance of the drawbridge.

"Where are your weapons?!" Corval growled angrily at his subordinate when he found Samuel had no sword or shield.

"I-I left it-CRIPES!" Samuel looked flustered as he tore back towards the dining room, cursing to himself.

Corval groaned to himself and as he turned around, he had to leap backwards as Elba suddenly dashed into the great hall, its hooves resonating all over the giant chamber.

Corval quickly wiped the food smear from his armor and bowed onto his knees as his robed queen Zelda stepped off.

"Your majesty, would you care to-"

"Not right now." Zelda said urgently as she ran passed him, clutching a cloth-wrapped item.

Sensing his queen was in distress, Corval followed her.

Zelda launched herself into her room and slammed the door. Her mind was in a blind frenzy, the sage's haunting words still hovering over her.

"_With no Hero…I see no salvation…"_

Zelda gently unwrapped the cloth to reveal the Master Sword. Her throat clutched as she went over to her dresser to remove her hairpieces.

"_Link…"_ she thought to herself. _"It just can't be true! I had it all planned out!"_ A stabbing pain from pricking herself with the hairpin caused her to savagely chuck it across the room where it smashed into the wall and onto the floor with a clatter. She was in a blind fury. How could she have been so stupid? So gullible? She was the fault of Hyrule's downfall the first time by trying to control the Sacred Realm. She was lucky Link was there.

Now, she had made the mistake again…and this time…there would be no Link to save her or her kingdom. She sat on her bed and sobbed miserably, glaring hatefully at the Master Sword.

"_If only that damn thing wasn't the only thing between us and utter destruction!"_ she cursed. _"How am I going to tell my people? Ganondorf is going to return and Link isn't because I made a miscalculation! I might as well have given Hyrule to Ganondorf on a silver platter."_

"_C'mon!"_ a fiercer, more determined voice echoed in the back of her head. _"You've saved Hyrule before. Do not forget, Zelda, that it was you who actually sealed Ganondorf into the Sacred Realm. Link just weakened him for you. If you did it once, you can do it again!"_

"_But we do not have all of the Triforce pieces! Where is the Triforce of Courage?!"_

"Queen Zelda?" Corval's voice said gingerly from the doorway. He opened the door to see his queen a sobbing, shaken mess. Just behind her was the gleaming Master Sword.

"Commander! Commander!" Samuel said breathlessly as he walked over to his elder. He paused when Corval raised a gloved hand. Together, they watched as Zelda recomposed herself. She slowly got up and slightly turned her head towards them. Her face was red and stained with tears, but her eyes were determined.

"Corval. Samuel." she said quietly. "Enter and bolt the door. This is something I alone may trust you two. We must have a meeting."

Corval walked into the chamber, followed by Samuel. As he bolted the doors, he felt for the first time in his life…fear and hesitation…

"_Something terrible is about to happen to us…"_ he studied the Master Sword nervously. _"Something terrible…"_


End file.
